Drunken attacker kicks policeman twice in the face after terrorising family in Harborough

A drunken attacker kicked a policeman twice in the face after he terrorised a family in Market Harborough.

Police were called after Benjamin Lee, 41, targeted his neighbours so much that they are thinking of moving.

Lee kicked a constable on the nose and the jaw as officers tried to arrest him on Logan Street, Market Harborough.

As a result the serial offender was jailed for 20 months.

Lee was already on a restraining order for anti-social behaviour towards the married couple when trouble flared again on Monday April 25.

Lauren Fisher, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court that Lee, who lived at his mother's home on Logan Street, knew he was not permitted any contact with them.

But he approached the mum, shouting “peace”, when she got home after getting her children from school.

Lee screamed "you won't suppress me, I'm a Glaswegian" before lying face down outside the family's home.

The shocked couple and their children left the house and called police.

Officers arrived to find drunken Lee still acting aggressively.

He resisted arrest and when another officer went to assist colleagues, Lee shouted at him: "I'm Scottish and I'm gonna headbutt you."

Lee then kicked the PC on the nose before booting him in the jaw.

He told officers later he couldn’t remember what he’d done because he’d been "highly intoxicated".

Miss Fisher told the court: "They (the neighbours) feel it's never ending and that the only option is to sell their house and move away."

Lee admitted threatening behaviour, with intent to cause fear of violence, assaulting an emergency worker, breaching a six-month suspended sentence and a restraining order.

He’d already piled up 38 previous offences on his record, including racially aggravated harassment, assaulting emergency workers, battery and threatening behaviour.

Katya Saudek, defending, said: "The person he's letting down the most is himself.

“He's developed a drink dependency.

“He is a pleasant individual when he's not drunk.

"He knows he needs to be realistic and he's effectively run out of road on this one.

“The defendant was wearing slippers, not shoes (when he kicked the officer's face), so there's no aggravating feature of having used a shod foot,” added Ms Saudek.

"What makes this serious is the ongoing problem with the neighbours.

"He started off shouting 'peace' before it got out of hand.

"He wants a new start.”

Recorder Adrian Reynolds told Lee: "On April 25, carnage was caused by your behaviour when you were completely out of control.

“You were out of trouble between 2003 and 2018, but since then your life has descended into chaos on a fairly formidable scale because you can't control your drinking.

"Your behaviour that day was absolutely ridiculous, lying face down and screaming your head off, causing fear and intimidation in the presence of children,” said Recorder Reynolds.

“You kicked an officer twice in the face.

“It's completely unacceptable.”

Lee was jailed for 20 months and a restraining order banning contact with the family was extended until further notice.